diff --git a/public/src/client/unread.js b/public/src/client/unread.js
index c2e8903127..5ed9eed5c8 100644
--- a/public/src/client/unread.js
+++ b/public/src/client/unread.js
@@ -61,6 +61,17 @@ define('forum/unread', [
 				doneRemovingTids(tids);
 			});
 		}
+
+		// Generate list of default categories based on topic list
+		let defaultCategories = ajaxify.data.topics.reduce((map, topic) => {
+			const { category }= topic;
+			let { cid } = category;
+			cid = utils.isNumber(cid) ? parseInt(cid, 10) : cid;
+			map.set(cid, category);
+			return map;
+		}, new Map());
+		defaultCategories = Array.from(defaultCategories.values());
+
 		const selector = categorySelector.init($('[component="category-selector"]'), {
 			onSelect: function (category) {
 				selector.selectCategory(0);
@@ -85,6 +96,7 @@ define('forum/unread', [
 					icon: '',
 				},
 			],
+			defaultCategories,
 		});
 	}
 
diff --git a/public/src/modules/categorySearch.js b/public/src/modules/categorySearch.js
index 8fa7a9f184..7840a859d7 100644
--- a/public/src/modules/categorySearch.js
+++ b/public/src/modules/categorySearch.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ define('categorySearch', ['alerts', 'bootstrap', 'api'], function (alerts, boots
 	const categorySearch = {};
 
 	categorySearch.init = function (el, options) {
-		let categoriesList = null;
+		let categoriesList = options.defaultCategories || null;
 		options = options || {};
 		options.privilege = options.privilege || 'topics:read';
 		options.states = options.states || ['watching', 'tracking', 'notwatching', 'ignoring'];